The present invention relates to the field of exercise machines and/or equipment and in particular its subject is a computerized communication systems for exchanging information and communications of the users of exercise stations.
The exercise stations of gyms for fitness or sports training can be constituted, as is generally known, by machines of by exercise equipment with various structures and features. Such stations can be equipped with electronic control and/or user interface means, constituted for instance by a system unit, by an input device, such as a keyboard, and by means for displaying the information, such as a monitor or display screen.
These electronic means allow the interaction between the user and the means embodying the actual exercise station for a broad variety of purposes, which can range from the simple recording of data pertaining to the user""s work program; to the automatic pre-setting of the machine according to the various phases in the development of the user""s program; to the feedback control of the machine and of the user to obtain an exact correspondence between the set program and the program actually performed.
Individual stations of the prior art, however, do not allow their respective users to communicate with each other, or vice versa to communicate with the world outside the space in which they are located.
Such a possibility would bring about significant advantages, since during the execution of the exercise the local users of a same gym, or the users of physically remote gyms could find it useful to be able to exchange information, messages, or even to participate in a collective, simultaneous exercise sections whilst being individually situated in physically remote locations.
The aim of the present invention therefore is to provide the users of two or more exercise stations, possibly also very remote from each other, with the capability of exchanging information in real time.
In accordance with the invention, said aim is achieved by a computerized telecommunication system for connecting the exercise stations, comprising an exercise machine or equipment item and user-to-machine interfacing means, characterized in that it further comprises a telecommunication network operatively interposed between the exercise stations and designed to connect individual users in such a way as to let them intercommunicate with each other or with the outside world.